Signal-lantern



LOUIS n. PETERS, or JACKSON, 01110.

SIGNAL-LANTERN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

Application filed. October 4, 1920. Serial No. 414,590.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS D. Perms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksomin the county of Jackson and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Signal-Lanterns; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to improvements in signal'lanterns which are especially designed for use by switchmen, flagmen and trackwalkers for inspecting tracks, giving signals to approaching trains and for other purposes. i

The main object of the invention is to provide a lantern of the above mentioned type which includes a chimney guard provided with a relatively'large open space into which a pane of colored glass is placed and removably held by novel means, this construction and arrangement being advantageous in that it permits the ordinary lamp with a white shade to be used as a signal lamp by simply placing the colored glass in said open space of he guard. Thus, the necessity of using a lamp with a white chimney and another lamp with a red chimney is. entirely overcome by my construction and arrangement which permits the same lamp to serve a double purpose. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lantern embodying means for removably holding a piece of colored glass in position, the same also including a container for holding the piece of colored glass when the latter is out of use, this container also serving to hold a 'number of spare pieces of colored glass, if desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lantern of the above mentioned type which is exceedingly simple in construction, strong, durable, efiective in use,

and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. I i 7 Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are, employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure l 'is a side elevational view ofa conventional lantern embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation looking in the direction of the arrow A.

' Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the drawer which holds the signal glass.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a conventional type of track-walkers lantern which is provided with a chimney guard in the form of an open-work wire cage. The lantern is here designated, as a whole, by the numeral 1 and the wire cage referred to is designated by the numeral 2, this cage being composed of a plurality of spaced vertical wires 3 connected by ringlike members or horizontal upper and lower spaced wires 4. This cage, as before indicated, is provided at one side with a relatively large open space 5 which is formed by removing a portionof the upper ring 4 between two of the vertical wires which bound said space 5. At this point I wish to mention that the ordinary white shade or globe will be used with this lantern so that a trackwalker may inspect trackconditions and effectively use it for other purposes. With my idea, the lamp may be easily and readily converted into a signal lamp by merely placing a piece of red or other colored glass into the space 5. In the drawings, I have shown thispiece of glass in the position in which it is placed and I have indicated it by thenumeral 6. It may be heldinposition by any suitable means, the means shown consisting of'a horizontal cross-piece 7 which is connected to the vertical wires bounding said space 5 and extends horizontally between them in the manner disclosed, being provided near its ends with channel portions '8 to form seats for the lower edge of the glass 6. The supporting means for the signal glass as shown also includes an angle bar or member 9 which is arranged in parallelism with the cross-piece 7 and is spaced above it in the manner shown. One of the flanges of thisangle is notched as indicated at 10 and the depending tongue 11 of a spring latch member 12 extends downwardly through this notch and in front of the piece of glass 6 to retain the latter in position. With this construction and arrangement, it

will be seen that the glass may be readily placed in position and securely held and may be easily and quickly removed whenever desired.

It is not desirable to have the signal glass fixed in position at all times, and in order to have itclose at hand when desired to quickly place it in use, I provide novel means for holding it in a place which places it entirely out of the way. This holder is in the form of a container or drawer 13 which is slidable in guides 14. arranged on the bottom of the burner-carrying-compartment of the lantern. To facilitate the insertion and removal of the colored pieces of glass from this drawer, the front wall thereof is separated from the body portion and hingedly connected thereto and thus provides a door 15. In order to retain the drawer and door in closed position, I provide an automatically acting spring-latch 16 .which includes a laterally down-turned portion 17 for engaging the door '15 and retaining it in closed position and in turn retaining the drawerin closed position. If desirable, this latch member may also include at its free end, a finger-piece 18 for permitting it to be readily moved to a position whereby thedrawer and door may be moved to a position to permit the glass to be easily and readily removed therefrom.

A lantern embodying the improvements shown in the drawings and hereinbefore clearly described is advantageous in that it permits a trackwalker or switchman to carry a lamp provided with a white globe and enable him to use the same lamp for signaling purposes by simply taking one of the colored pieces of glass from the container and placing it in the relatively large open space in the cage in the manner hereinbefore set forth. The lamp may then be turned so that the rays glass 'will be toward the engineer of an. appreaching train. .With my construction and arrangement, the necessity of employing lanterns with white globes and lanterns with colored globes is entirely overcome since a single lamp may serve the purpose of two ormore lanterns as ordinarily used. Several pieces of spare colored glass may be carried in the container which I provide and the piece which'has previously been in operative position on the shade guard maybe removed and placed within the container, in which place it-is entirely out of the way,

While I have described my improved lantern as being especially adapted for use by railway employees, I wish it to be understoodthat it is not to be restricted to this particular use, because it may be very effecof light shining through the colored tively used as a signal lamp on vehicles,

When used 7 especially horse drawn vehicles. on such Vehicles, the lamp may be so positioned that the colored glass will be toward the rear as is ordinary.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing will enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention relates to obtain a clear understanding of the same, therefore, a more lengthy descripopen-work wire cage having a relatively large space in one side, the wires of said cage being disposed horizontally and vertically and spaced from one another, a crosspiece carrying spaced channel seats said cross-piece being disposed horizontally between and connected to the vertical wires and bounding the lower side of said open space, and an angle-iron spaced above and arranged in parallelism with the aforesaid cross-piece,

being disposed betweenthe same vertical wires at the upper side of said space, a piece of colored glass arranged in the aforesaid open space, having its lower edge resting in said seats, its upper end coaeting with said angle-iron, the'horizontal flange of the latter being notched intermediate its ends, and ,a spring retainerfor the glass carried by said horizontal flange, including a tongue depending through said notch and extending in front of said glass to hold the latter in place.

2. The combination with a lantern, an inverted rectangular box-like member secured on the bottom of the latter, having the edges of its longitudi'nal'side walls laterally inturned to form guide ledges, a drawer sliclably mounted on said ledges, the front wall of the drawer being hinged and serving as a handle, and a latch'to retain the hinged wall in vertical closing position and also to hold the drawer closed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' LOUIS DIPETERsL 

